After the recent incident of a youth being killed by a white tiger at the Delhi Zoo, the Central Zoo Authority (CZA) has issued new guidelines to zoological parks and has even sought for a compliance report within a month. CZA is an autonomous statutory body under the Environment Ministry.
According to BK Gupta, evaluation and monitoring officer, CZA, guidelines have been issued to all zoological parks, which include having a quick response team to handle such emergency situations; having a public address system at the entry gate; having warning signs and folded ropes and ladders at carnivore enclosures. Another guideline would be to print dos and don’ts on entry tickets.
He was, however, of the opinion that all zoological parks are well maintained and adequate steps are being taken to make them safe and secure for the visitors and also enough attention is given to the condition of the animals.The experts, nevertheless, said that the zoos of the country are among the worst kept in the world. According to them, it is time that the Government should stop managing them and instead outsource them to private parties.
Animal Welfare Board of India Vice-Chairman S Chinny Krishna said that zoos should only operate for conservation and rehabilitation purposes, and not for people to throw stones and tease them. He was against the whole idea of keeping wild animals in zoo, insisting that they should be allowed to thrive in wilderness. Keeping animals in zoos is like keeping them in a golden cage and giving them food, he added.
The experts felt that it is high time that the country follows international standards to design its 192 zoos under the jurisdiction of the Central Zoo Authority. There are some excellent zoos outside the country like Beijing zoo, San Diego zoo and Micke Grove (California) zoo that serve as educational and research platforms and create awareness about animals. It is time that the Indian zoos be also designed in such ways.
They regretted that the focus on the revamping of zoos in India has come into sharp focus after the September 23 incident in which a seven-year-old white tiger mauled and killed a 20-year-old man, who had fallen in its enclosure.